A gas generator for expanding and deploying an air bag instantaneously to protect a passenger in an automobile from an impact generated at the time of collision of the automobile is incorporated in an air bag module mounted in a steering wheel or an instrument panel. The gas generator instantaneously generates large quantities of high-temperature gas by an impact detection signal sent from an impact sensor at the time of collision.
The gas generator for emitting air bag deploying gas includes gas generating agent for generating high-temperature gas by combustion, an ignition tool for igniting and burning the gas generating agent, and an inflammation agent. Therefore, when an unused gas generator is disposed of, it is necessary to dispose of the gas generator after the ignition tool is ignited and the inflammation agent and the gas generating agent are burned.
This is because that when an automobile is disposed of, the automobile is pressed, but if the automobile having the unused gas generator is presses as it is, there is a danger that the gas generating agent, the ignition tool and the inflammation agent are ignited and an explosion is caused by mechanical energy. The gas generator is destroyed by the mechanical energy, chemical, such as sodium azide and the like, held therein flows out to contaminate environments.
As a method for disposing of an unused gas generator, there are proposed a method in which an automobile is covered with a covering member in a state in which the gas generator is assembled into the automobile and then, the gas generator is actuated (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 10-152077), and a method in which an unused gas generator is actuated by heating the gas generator using an electric furnace (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 7-277131).
However, according to the method for covering the automobile with the covering member, it is necessary to mount the covering members to the automobiles one by one, and this is not suitable as a method for disposing of the gas generators of mass-manufactured automobiles.
Further, according to the method for heating the gas generator, it is necessary to heat the gas generator to a burning temperature of the gas generating agent and the like, this requires large quantities of energy and thus, a large quantities of gas generators can not be disposed of due to economical reason. Further, vinyl-covered conductors, plastic connectors and the like for connecting the igniter of the gas generator and the impact sensor side are used in the gas generator. Therefore, if the gas generator is burned, plastic and vinyl are also burned, it is necessary to provide a system for preventing injurant (such as dioxin) which is becoming significant in recent years and thus, this method increases costs of the gas generator disposal method.
Thereupon, in a disposal processing of a gas generator which is forecast to be increased, it is an object of the present invention to provide a disposal method and system for disposal capable of disposing of large quantities of gas generators safely, efficiently and without contamination of environments.
According to a first invention, there is provided a gas generator disposal method of an unused gas generator for discharging air bag deploying gas by ignition of an igniter, comprising a processing step for irradiating the igniter with ignition energy light to ignite the igniter, thereby discharging gas from the gas generator.
With this structure, the unused gas generator alone can be processed without covering with a cover member and thus, large quantities of gas generators can be processed efficiently. Further, since the igniter is ignited by irradiation of the ignition energy light, the gas can be discharged instantaneously with a small amount of energy, and the processing time can be shortened. Since the igniter is irradiated with the ignition energy light, plastic or vinyl used in the gas generator is not burned and thus, injurant which contaminates environments is prevented from discharged out.
According to a second invention, here is provided a gas generator disposal method of an unused gas generator assembled into an air bag module for discharging air bag deploying gas by ignition of an igniter, comprising a processing step for irradiating the igniter with ignition energy light to ignite the igniter in a state in which the gas generator is assembled into the air bag module, thereby discharging gas from the gas generator.
With this structure, the gas generator can be processed in the state in which the gas generator is assembled into the air bag module, large quantities of gas generators can be processed efficiently. Further, since the igniter is ignited by irradiation of the ignition energy light, the gas can be discharged instantaneously with a small amount of energy. Since it is unnecessary to remove the gas generator from the air bag module, the processing time can be shortened further. Since the igniter is irradiated with the ignition energy light, plastic or vinyl used in the gas generator is not burned and thus, injurant which contaminates environments is prevented from discharged out.
In the first and second inventions, the igniter comprises an ignition tool only, or an ignition tool and an inflammation agent. In the processing step, only the ignition tool is irradiated with the ignition energy light to ignite the same, or at least one of the ignition tool and the inflammation agent is irradiated with the ignition energy light to ignite the same, thereby igniting the ignition tool and the inflammation agent. With this structure, it is possible to burn all of flammable gunpowder, and danger such as explosion in the subsequent step can be eliminated.
In the first and second inventions, the ignition energy light for irradiating the igniter is any one of laser, plasma, electron beam and arc discharge. Therefore, the gas generator can be disposed of efficiently.
According to a third invention, there is provided a disposal method of a gas generator generating air bag deploying gas by burning a gas generating agent by an igniter. This disposal method employs one of two processing steps to dispose of the gas generator. That is, one of the steps is for irradiating the igniter with ignition energy light to ignite the igniter to burn the gas generating agent, thereby discharging the gas, and the other step is for irradiating the gas generating agent to burn the same, thereby discharging the gas.
With this feature, the unused gas generator alone can be processed and thus, large quantities of gas generators can be processed efficiently. Further, since the igniter is ignited or the gas generating agent is burned by irradiation of the ignition energy light to burn the gas generating agent, the gas can be discharged instantaneously with a small amount of energy, and the processing time can be shortened. Since the igniter or the gas generating agent is irradiated with the ignition energy light, plastic or vinyl used in the gas generator is not burned and thus, injurant which contaminates environments is prevented from discharged out. Further, since the igniter or the gas generating agent is irradiated with the ignition energy light, it is possible to burn all of flammable gunpowder, and danger such as explosion in the subsequent step can be eliminated.
According to a fourth invention, there is provided a gas generator disposal system of an unused gas generator for discharging air bag deploying gas by ignition of an igniter. This disposal system comprises energy irradiating means for irradiating the igniter with ignition energy light to ignite the igniter.
With this structure, the unused gas generator alone can be processed and thus, large quantities of gas generators can be processed efficiently. Further, since the igniter is ignited by irradiation of the ignition energy light, the gas can be discharged instantaneously with a small amount of energy, and the processing time can be shortened. Since the igniter is irradiated with the ignition energy light, plastic or vinyl used in the gas generator is not burned and thus, injurant which contaminates environments is prevented from discharged out.
The fourth invention comprises transfer means for sequentially transferring large quantities of unused gas generators, and positioning means for fixing and positioning the unused gas generators transferred by the transfer means such that the igniter is opposed to the energy irradiating means. With this structure, it is possible to transfer the unused gas generators by the transfer means, and to fix and position the gas generating agent such that the igniter is opposed to the energy irradiating means. Large quantities of gas generators can efficiently be processed automatically.
The fourth invention comprises a gas shield which shields air emitted from the gas generator to the energy irradiating means. With this feature, the gas emitted from the gas generator to the energy irradiating means is shielded by the gas shield, it is possible to prevent the energy irradiating means from being damaged by the gas emitted from the gas generator.
The fourth invention further comprises an air protector for blowing out the gas emitted from the gas generator by air spray. With this feature, the air protector blows away the gas emitted from the gas generator to the energy irradiating means by air spray and thus, it is possible to prevent the energy irradiating means from being damaged by the gas emitted from the gas generator.
According to a fifth invention, there is provided a gas generator disposal system of an unused gas generator for discharging air bag deploying gas by ignition of an igniter. This disposal system comprises energy irradiating means for irradiating the igniter with ignition energy light to ignite the igniter, gas shielding means for shielding gas emitted from the gas generator to the energy irradiating means, and an air protector for blowing out the gas emitted from the gas generator to the energy irradiating means by air spray.
With this feature, the unused gas generator alone can be processed and thus, large quantities of gas generators can be processed efficiently. Further, since the igniter is ignited by irradiation of the ignition energy light to burn the gas generating agent, the gas can be discharged instantaneously with a small amount of energy, and the processing time can be shortened. Since the igniter or the gas generating agent is irradiated with the ignition energy light, plastic or vinyl used in the gas generator is not burned and thus, injurant which contaminates environments is prevented from discharged out. Further, since the gas emitted from the gas generator to the energy irradiating means is shielded and blown away by the gas shield and the air protector, it is possible to prevent the energy irradiating means from being damaged by the gas from the gas generator.
According to a sixth invention, there is provided a gas generator disposal system of an unused gas generator for discharging air bag deploying gas by ignition of an igniter. This disposal system comprises energy irradiating means for irradiating the igniter with ignition energy light to ignite the igniter, transfer means for sequentially transferring large quantities of unused gas generators, and positioning means for fixing and positioning the unused gas generators transferred by the transfer means such that the igniter is opposed to the energy irradiating means, gas shielding body for shielding gas emitted from the gas generator to the energy irradiating means, and an air protector for blowing out the gas emitted from the gas generator to the energy irradiating means by air spray.
With this feature, the unused gas generator alone can be processed and thus, large quantities of gas generators can be processed efficiently. Further, since the igniter is ignited by irradiation of the ignition energy light to burn the gas generating agent, the gas can be discharged instantaneously with a small amount of energy, and the processing time can be shortened. Since the igniter or the gas generating agent is irradiated with the ignition energy light, plastic or vinyl used in the gas generator is not burned and thus, injurant which contaminates environments is prevented from discharged out. Further, large quantities of gas generators can efficiently be processed automatically by the transfer means and the positioning means. Further, because of the gas shield and the air protector, it is possible to prevent the energy irradiating means from being damaged by the gas from the gas generator, and the reliability of automatic processing can be enhanced.